The diet of an individual should contain required quantities of fibrous materials so as to maintain fiber balance and good health. The deficiency of the required quantity of fibrous materials in the daily diet of an individual may cause problems such as diabetes, coronary artery diseases, diverticulosis, cancer of the colon, piles, fissures, chronic constipation and the like. Fiber is normally obtained from food. Dietary fiber available in plant cell walls escapes digestion by the enzymes present in the gastrointestinal tract. The chief components of dietary fiber are cellulose, lignins and non cellulosic polysaccharides. Lignin is a non-carbohydrate dietary constituent which is totally indigestible. Polysaccharides belong to two categories (i) Cellulose--it is like lignins in that it cannot be easily digested and (ii) non cellulosic polysaccharides, which comprise chiefly hemicellulose, pectin, plant gums and mucilages. While proteins, fats and carbohydrates have been studied extensively, the unabsorbable fiber portion of food has almost been ignored, probably because it is indigestible, not assimilated in the body, is non-caloric and of negligible nutrient value.
The modern day increase in the incidence and severity of diseases like hypertension, diabetes, cancer of the large intestines, irritable bowel syndrome and heart attacks have been linked to lack of fiber in the diet. The causes seem to be the changing food habits from natural foods to Western type diets of refined foods. Consumption of unrefined highly soluble fiber carbohydrate rich foods protect against many Western ailments like colon cancer, diverticular diseases, gallstones, obesity, in addition to constipation. Although the traditional Indian may be consuming plenty of fiber rich foods, those living in urban areas especially the affluent may be ingesting less than the required quantity of dietary fiber rich food. This is reflected in the higher incidence of heart ailments, diabetes and constipation in the cities as compared to the villages.
The present day diet contains tasty refined (that is fiber depleted) carbohydrate foods, especially sucrose which requires little chewing at the expense of its unrefined counterpart starch. Diets rich in sugars and fats are low in starch content and hence low in insoluble fiber.
The switching over to modern diets containing high amounts of sugar and fat presently contribute to 55 to 60% of the daily calories as compared to 15 to 20% a century ago. The situation is further complicated due to the inconvenience and monotony of ingesting fibrous products. The increasing cost of fibrous food materials such as fruits, vegetables and their non-availability during off and lean seasons also contributes to the development of fiber deficiency and low levels of fibrous materials in the daily diet. Some fiber containing foods are unprocessed seeds and grains (legumes and cereals). Pulses (legumes as they are called) are a rich source of protein in the diet. Pulses are also edible seeds of various leguminous plants, for example, chickpeas, lentils, beans, etc. In vegetarian diets, pulses find an important place as a source of protein. Pulses are also rich in "B" Vitamins, so they can contribute significantly to vitamin intake. Nuts are also rich sources of fiber but are high in fat and calories.
Daily fiber intake of an individual consequently becomes inadequate resulting in serious illness such as diabetes, coronary artery diseases, diverticulosis, cancer of colon, piles, fissures and chronic constipation. The above conditions need treatment but also need prevention.
Benefits of taking fibrous materials in the daily diet of an individual are very well known world over. There is an increasing need for dietary products containing high mounts of fiber to meet the increased daily fiber requirements.
When one considers developing a fibrous dietary product containing a high percentage of fibrous materials it is essential to ensure that the product used as a food supplement would provide a high quantity of fiber including soluble fiber in a palatable and easy to take form.